The present invention relates to improvements in push button operating assemblies or push button actuators of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,126,066 and 7,205,492 issued Oct. 24, 2006 and Apr. 17, 2007, respectively, referred to herein as the “Earlier Push Button Actuator Patents” or as the “EPBA Patents,” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The push button actuators disclosed in the EPBA Patents each include a housing that defines a passage extending along a central axis, and a push button assembly having components that are movable in and near the passage including a forwardly-biased push button at the front of the housing that can be repositioned by moving it along the central axis between extended and depressed positions, and by turning it about the central axis between first and second orientations. Provided at the rear of the housing is a single operating element that does not turn about the central axis, but does move rearwardly along the central axis in response to depression of the front push button after being turned to the second orientation. Components enclosed in the housing of the actuator prevent the single rear operating element from moving rearwardly in response to depression of the front push button after being turned to the first orientation.
A significant advantage offered by push button actuator units of the type described above and disclosed in detail in the EPBA Patents is that these units have proven to be extremely rugged and reliable, even when employed in abusive environments (for example to engage, move and operate an auxiliary device such as an actuator rod that, when moved, causes components of a plural-point locking system to lock and unlock as desired to secure large toolboxes and containers that are left overnight, sometimes for days at a time, at building remodeling or erection worksites to protectively house large power tools, fixtures awaiting installation, supplies and the like).
A disadvantage inherent in the design of push button actuator units of the type disclosed in the EPBA Patents is the limited control capability these units offer. Each has only a single rear operating element that is biased forwardly and permitted to move rearwardly only when the front push button is depressed while turned to a specific orientation (typically an “unlocked” orientation). No axial movement of any rear operating element takes place when the front push button is depressed while turned to a different orientation (typically a “locked” orientation); and the rear operating element is prevented from turning about the axis regardless of how the front push button may be turned or oriented or moved axially.
Stated in another way, because a push button actuator unit of the type disclosed in the EPBA Patents has only one rear operating element, because the one and only rear operating element is prevented from turning in response to turning of the front push button, and because no provision is made for any type of axial movement of a rear operating element in response to depression of the front push button when turned to one of two possible orientations (namely a “locked” orientation), a push button actuator unit of the type disclosed in the EPBA Patents effectively ignores and entirely discards a number of push button positionings and/or movements that perhaps might be put to good use if a way could be found to modify the design to transmit characteristics of the unused and ignored positionings and/or movements of the front push button through the housing passages of such units to rear locations where these characteristics might perhaps be utilized by a plurality of independently movable rear operating elements to control one or a plurality of auxiliary devices situated near the rear of or behind push button actuator units of the type disclosed in the EPBA Patents.
What is needed is a push button actuator that implements a more versatile control capability without discarding or diminishing the abuse-resistant character of the push button actuator design that is disclosed in the Earlier Actuator Patents which results at least in part from providing a rear operating element that is segregated and isolated from forces that may be applied to front portions of the housing and/or other frontal components of the units by a well designed housing that carries a transversely extending disc which effectively divides a passage that extends through the housing into front and rear regions where different activities occur, and has other features and characteristics that are disclosed in the EPBA Patents.